Jamaica Draws One Million Tourists in First Half of 2008

Over a million tourists visited Jamaica in the first six months of the year, the Caribbean nation’s tourism minister said on Tuesday. Arrivals totaled 1,004,000 in the Jan. 1 to June 30 period, compared with 981,756 for the same period in 2007, and revenue was $1.19 billion, compared with $957.3 million a year earlier, said the minister, Ed Bartlett.

He described the arrivals and revenue for the period as the “best ever.” The increases were recorded despite a downturn in the regional tourism market. Tourism is Jamaica’s second-highest revenue earner, behind remittances from Jamaicans abroad.

Last year the sector earned more than $2 billion. Statistics released by the Jamaica Tourist Board, the local marketing and promotions agency, showed an increase of 8 percent in stopover arrivals for the winter tourist season, which runs from Dec. 15 to March 15.